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BMW M3 to Sport Rear-Wheel-Drive

BThe CEO of Mercedes-AMG, Tobias Moers, recently announced his company would no longer consider RWD cars for Mercedes’ go-faster division. All performance vehicles from Affalterbach will have a 4Matic setup. While this may seem like a progressive choice, BMW’s Markus Flasch sees the subject differently.

As the Chairman of the Board of Management for BMW’s M division, Flasch has taken a distinctly separate approach to the issue than Moers. Flasch argues that rear-wheel drive is still relevant for some segments of the market, and the BMW M3 will sport the feature. His logic is relatively easy to follow.

An AWD layout is more suitable for medium and larger cars, which customers tend to drive throughout the entirety of the year. Smaller and cheaper M cars — like the M2, M3 and M4 — usually remain in an owner’s garage in inclement conditions. They’ll often take them out when the weather is good, less so when it’s not.

Because of this, Flasch is determined to keep RWD alive as he continues to pursue xDrive, and in doing so, remain faithful to the spirit of the M division. Though he won’t please everyone, Flasch believes he’ll satisfy most BMW enthusiasts. Regardless, he has other exciting developments in line for the coming decade.

Progress and Innovation

Beyond the BMW M3’s rear-wheel drive, Flasch has also announced plans for new CS models. They won’t necessarily take the form of a coupe, and you may even see that CS suffix attached to an SUV sometime in the far future. Of course, these comments strongly suggest that BMW may bring back the CSL.

Flasch didn’t provide any model names, but the M2 is the likeliest candidate to benefit from this treatment if the Coupe Sport Leichtbau makes a comeback. However Flasch chooses to proceed, BMW enthusiasts can feel secure knowing the company’s highly regarded performance division is in capable hands.

With Flasch behind the wheel, it’s safe to say that BMW is on the right track. His ambition for a hypercar in the M division is one of the prime examples of his innovative mindset. Though his predecessor, Frankus Van Meel, ruled out the possibility of a hypercar in 2017, Flasch is taking things in another direction.

In the past, BMW has shown a reluctance to broach the subject of supercars and hypercars. However, Flasch feels that a low-emissions supercar is feasible with help from BMW’s i division. He’s shown an interest in collaboration between the M and i divisions, and the product of their teamwork will likely turn heads.

Looking Toward the Future

Flasch has a clear vision for the future of BMW’s M division. In addition to the rear-wheel drive for the BMW M3, enthusiasts should remain on the lookout for more exciting developments in the months and years ahead. The potential release of a low-emissions supercar is only a taste of what’s to come.

As Flasch moves forward with his plans for BMW, it’s reasonable to speculate his division will see a significant transformation. As it evolves and takes shape, enthusiasts will likely view the changes as positive, if not well-intentioned.

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2019 BMW m850i Xdrive: Reviews and Updates

If Mercedes’ S-Class is the champagne of luxury automobiles, the BMW 8-Series is exclusive scotch whiskey. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re looking for an alternative to the cushy Merc with all the provenance and little more attitude the BMW boulevardier is back with no shortage of leather and weather.

Replacing the 6-Series as BMW’s big coupe for the 2019 model year and a convertible variant coming in 2020, the 8’er delivers on its naming scheme by bringing more of everything that the 6 had. It successfully picks up where the last 8 left off, demonstrating the full extent of Munich’s abilities to play in the ultra-luxury segment.

Putting the Grand in Grand Touring

The m850i xDrive sits nicely atop the BMW model lineup, however it actually creates an interesting value proposition as an alternative to the Aston Martins and Bentley GTs of the world, and for a fair bit less money.

With an opulent leather-covered interior, all-wheel drive, every modern amenity and a face-melting 3.6-second 0-60 time courtesy of BMW’s 523 horsepower hot-vee eight-cylinder, the 8 squares off nicely against competition that will set you back close to twice its $122,000 price tag.

Make no mistake, this is no bargain-basement bimmer. The m850i xDrive is a bonafied range-topper. It’s in BMW’s DNA to be the sporty alternative to other German luxury brands, however the informed will note that over the course of the last two decades, Audi, BMW and Mercedes have all in some sense abandoned their unique qualities and moved more towards the center of the market, building cars that do a lot of things well, instead of one thing exceptionally.

The m850i xDrive is no different. It accelerates like a sports car, but it cossets its occupants like a luxury barge should, and this should help BMW’s sales numbers.

Enthusiasts looking for a track toy can seek out the cheaper, smaller 2, 3 and 4-series cars, but fling the 8 into an S-bend and its 4300 lb. heft is going to be apparent. BMW’s bean counters know exactly how many 8-series buyers are going to do that. They can probably be counted on one hand.

The 90s Are in, Again!

Much like the time period when the original 8 roamed the world’s highways, the 8 comes at a time when the posh can afford to indulge. So it makes sense that the m850i Coupe will welcome a drop-top sister car in 2020.

The sleek silhouette that the 8 cuts is every bit as drool-inducing with the roof removed, and top-down motoring is all the more enjoyable with help from the infotainment system’s 10.25-inch screen and premium Bowers & Wilkins stereo there to announce your presence. That is, if the muted roar from your twin exhausts doesn’t first.

Showing off in the modern era requires more than just good looks and a bangin’ stereo, though. The eight also delivers in the technology category with modern touches like lane-keep assist, adaptive digital gauge cluster and even supercar-like four-wheel steering.

And then there’s the decidedly low-tech but oh-so-good to use crystal gear selector. BMW knows their clientele, and some things just don’t change. People will call this a “footballer’s car,” and whisper when you drive by in one but only until they get behind the wheel.

Experience the merino leather interior and effortless thrust, the perfectly sculpted ergonomics of the cockpit. It’s like the 80-inch television at your friend’s place, you didn’t know you needed it. Until you did.

Editorial

Top Gear Reviews UK’s Sportier BMW i3s

BMW just released in Britain an i3s, the sportier version of its electric i3, with a larger 120 Ah battery. Top Gear decided to give the upgraded i3s a try, and the resulting review paints a pretty alluring picture of what it’s like to drive the car.

The i3s offers 182bhp, about 14 more than the i3, and can go from 0 to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds, 0.4 less than the i3. It also features one-inch-bigger wheels, 10mm-lower suspension, a 40mm-wider track and extended wheel arches. The car’s max speed is 99mph.

The drive system now also has a new Sport mode, and you get a bespoke steering setup and slightly updated exterior design. The upgraded i3s costs £37,615, or about 49,022, new — about 3,258 more than the regular i3. Overall, Top Gear gave the BMW i3s a rating of 8/10.

2014 BMW All-Electric i3 Press Drive.

The Top Gear reviewer, Stephen Dobie, notes that on paper the differences between the i3s and i3 are pretty subtle. When it comes to how the car drives though, he writes, the i3s “does noticeably lift it to another level.” He notes that the acceleration is “flipping quick” up to 60 miles per hour, especially in the first 40. Lifting off the gas pedal often provides enough of a slowdown to navigate turns, speed bumps and the like without needing to hit the brakes.

Top Gear writes that the i3s handles well “to an extent.” Dobie notes the vehicle’s tall body and flighty steering as well as its rear-wheel drive and the fact that the car’s heaviest portions are set low. After some time, you’ll get used to how the car handles and even learn to take advantage of it to tuck into and out of corners, he writes.

“It’ll even indulge a small amount of silliness if you slacken off the stability control,” Dobie says. Loosening up the stability control with a few turns and clicks of the iDrive wheel will let you get enough momentum during a turn to enjoy some nano-slides.

The setup and design of the car seem to encourage you to drive fast, Dobie says. There’s a large fishbowl windscreen that gives you a clear view of the road, and a digital speedometer at the bottom of it. The way the car flat-lines its acceleration around the typical highway speed limit means you can get to the car’s fun dynamics without pushing too hard.

BMW Press

“What’s present here – and not in a Leaf, Zoe or Ioniq – is a real sense of humour, and layers of fun beyond those first few hits away from the traffic lights,” Dobie writes in his review. “Isn’t it vital to know as cars fundamentally change, their sense of fun is still tangible?”

Of course, if you drive hard, your range will decrease from the quoted 160 miles. The car doesn’t have the optional range extender, a small gas-powered engine, anymore either — it’s fully electric.

Based on this review though, it seems like enjoying the full extent of the driving experience the i3s has to offer might be worthing losing a bit of range now and then.